Who ever said you can't find a needle in a haystack? Some time ago I came across an
old book - over a century old! - in the Seattle Public Library Genealogical Section with
the following interesting information about Mary Smith's family -- this is Mary Smith
who married George Catt, and they were the parents of John, Rebecca, Mary A., Hettie and
Jesse Mason Catt.
For those of you who think it's difficult to find a "Mary Smith", just
consider how amazed I was to find her and her family by accident when I was really looking
for CATTs!
Source: "History of Columbiana County, Ohio - West Township" (1879,
Philadelphia, D.W. Ensign & Co.), page 271:
"...David Smith entered and settled on section 11 in 1804. In his family were ten
children, viz.: Susan, who married Frederick Zepernick; Barbara, who married George
Frederick; Nancy; Catharine, who married George Reamer; John; David; Jacob; Mary, who
married George Catt; Hettie, who married John Snyder; and Betsey, who married Henry
Thomas."
Page 35: "Village and Hamlets - New Alexander ... Probably the oldest hamlet in West
township is the little village of New Alexander. No positive record of its platting
exists, but it must have been laid out about the year 1812. Originally, it comprised
twenty acres of land, owned by David Smith, a pioneer of the township. A hotel was built
there in 1818 and run by John Ritz. The sign of the Black Bear is still in the memor of
some of the older inhabitants. John Ritz died about the year 1840. New Alexander was on
the old stage-line road, and a halting-place of considerable note in its early days. The
place has about fifty houses and a population of about 200."
Page 36 - "Cemeteries ... The New Alexander Cemetery was laid outin 1816, at about
the same time that West made a township. David Smith, a pioneer, donated the land for
this purpose. The cemetery is about two acres in extent."